124 Why are you shaking like a little mouse (1/2)

Bloodied shirt. Blood trickling down from the wounds on her ghostly white skin. Her nails have been ripped out. She's too numb to feel the pain. Her conscious drifts to nothing as she feels like she's falling into a deep slumber.

The man grabs her hair soaked with sweat and pulls hard. When he hears her whimper like a little bruised animal, he grins at her. He presses the tip of the knife on the middle of her forehead and draws it downward, forming a trail of blood as the tip of the knife reaches her jawline. The wisp of red smoke tightens around her leg, digging deeper as it burns the flesh; blood pours out and dribbles on the floor.

”It will leave a scar.” Ian caresses her other cheek that doesn't have a drop of blood. ”It doesn't matter, does it? You are dying anyway.”

”You are right.” She doesn't open her eyes. In the last few hours, he did everything that he could do to make her feel pain. But she can still endure. She is clinging to the last strand of clarity -- Fu Sheng. She needs to live because she doesn't want him to die. If she reveals how to kill the vampire-zombies, this man will try it on her first. If she dies, Fu Sheng will die too. She tells him with a mocking voice, ”Are you tired, Mr Jonation? I am sure that you can do more.”

Ian grits his teeth and thrusts the knife into her shoulder. Her body jolts once. She lowers her head, closing her eyes shut in pain. She wants this hell to end, but she can't embrace death either. Not just Fu Sheng, even Xiao Chun Dan's life is depending on her.

”You won't learn this way.” Ian pulls the knife out and throws it away. ”We will do this your way, my beautiful vampire.”

Despite the determination that she showed to Ian in the past few hours, Huang Qiuyan releases a breath of relief when she sees him leave the room. The light is gone as soon as he leaves. She winces when she tries to move her fingers. She purses her lips together. In the darkness, stifled sobs can be heard. Her salty tears aggravate the wound on her face. She cocks her head to the right. How long can she live? How far is death? When will Fu Sheng come?

Ah! Is he even coming?

”Haha...” She laughs, but her tears won't stop. ”I should have died that day.”

If she only died that night, she wouldn't be clinging so hard to live right now. Being a soulless vampire-zombie was better.

When the door opens, her shoulders become Tense. She's trying to act brave, but it hurts nonetheless. The room is bright again and Huang Qiuyan could see the person's face. The woman looks at her smugly. ”It's been a while, Huang Qiuyan.”

”Meng Su Yin.” Huang Qiuyan mumbles her name with a feeble voice, ”Why… you…”

”I am here to greet my sister-in-law.” Meng Su Yin claps her hands in front of Huang Qiuyan, startling her. ”Oh, wait for a second! Are you still my sister-in-law?”

Huang Qiuyan looks at her, unable to discern her words.

She already knows it. Her mother did care about her, but her mother was also ashamed of her. She was never good enough. She wasn't smart or beautiful. She wasn't good at seducing a man. She was a nobody. Her mother didn't want a daughter who was nobody. ”Why are you saying it right now?”

Meng Su Yin scrutinizes her face. ”You are uglier now. What will your true mate do? Isn't his name Fu Sheng? You even brought a pureblooded vampire to our house? You planned to feed all of us to him, right? You must have hated us from the bottom of your heart.”

”You are wrong.” Huang Qiuyan manages to reply. She doesn't want to talk anymore. She wants to sleep. Just for a while.